Changhua chief’s brother gets nine years in prison

‘FAMILY BUSINESS’:Cho Po-chung was found guilty of colluding with business groups to illegally pocket NT$49 million in a public procurement project

By Rich Chang / Staff reporter

The younger brother of Changhua County Commissioner Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源) was yesterday sentenced to nine years in prison for using Cho Po-yuan’s influence to steal government contracts.

Cho Po-chung (卓伯仲), the younger brother of the county commissioner, was found guilty of criminal intent and contravening the Business Accounting Act (商業會計法) among others, the Changhua District Court said.

The court ruling said Cho Po-chung, who has a doctorate, used his brother’s influence and turned the local government’s public affairs into his family business.

Yang Jui-mei (楊瑞美), acting head of the county government’s General Affairs Department, and Lee Yao-chuan (李耀全), head of the department’s documentation division, were both sentenced to one year and four months in prison.

Cho Po-chung in October 2011 rigged a tender and fixed the prices of environmentally friendly bags needed for the Taiwan Lantern Festival in 2012, which was held in Changhua County, the ruling said.

He colluded with business groups to illegally pocket NT$49 million (US$1.63 million) in the procurement of the bags by the county government, the court found.

He also embezzled NT$18 million from President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) presidential campaign office during the 2012 election, it said.

Cho Po-chung and the other defendants can still appeal the ruling to the Taiwan High Court’s Taichung Branch, the Changhua District Court said.